The background: Strictly speaking, Bernhoft isn't new because he has released albums and singles before and he's been in bands for yonks. But he was new enough for the Great Escape, and indeed when he appeared on the New Band of the Day stage at the festival last Saturday, he was bottom of the bill and the only people who seemed familiar with his work were two fellow musicians from his home country we met outside the venue who hailed him "the biggest thing to come out of Norway since a-ha". But by the time his set was over, the crowd went wilder than we saw them go all weekend up to that point, with the possible exception of their reaction to Trippple Nippples, and the latter had six members, three of them semi-clad Japanese cuties daubed with giant phallic symbols pouring beer into the mouths of punters to help their cause. All Bernhoft, an unassuming thirtysomething with a post-punk haircut and thick black Costello-specs (TM), had on his side was an acoustic guitar, a range of pedals by his feet and a strong, soulful voice.

But what he did with those few tools was quite extraordinary. Using them, and via a process of instant recording, looping and layering, he was able to create the sound of a full band – including all the instrumental parts plus backing singers on rich harmonies– and it was all just him. And it was a good band. Not quite the shrill, electro cyber-punk of Trippple Nippples. No, think instead of the textured, multi-layered synthesiser soul of Lewis Taylor, whose voice Bernhoft's resembles. In fact, several grown men – well, two – accosted the New Band of the Day writer following Bernhoft's performance to wax lyrical about it and to compare the Norwegian one-man band to Barnet's greatest neo-soul visionary who not long ago absented himself from the internet and is rumoured to be working these days as a plumber in Sheffield. Bernhoft would appear to be rather less unhinged than that: you presumably need a level head to handle the intricate business of speed-recording vocals, bass and guitar parts and beats, live, and in front of a baying throng (even just a quiet throng would be tough). Of course, there have been beatboxers who have used their voice to replicate the sounds of instruments and build songs out of various looped-together parts, from Shlomo to Hyperpotamus, only with Bernhoft you really can't hear the joins, and the end result is good enough to warrant inspection beyond its value as an impressive party piece. He doesn't yet have songs as far-out and fabulous as Lewis III or Track, so maybe this is an ideal opportunity to coax Taylor out of retirement. Although with the way the music industry's going, there are probably better prospects in plumbing.